draughts
draughts Lexical Profile
draughts Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A two-player strategy board game played on a chequered board with twenty-four round pieces, in which players move diagonally and capture opposing pieces by jumping over them.
"My grandfather taught me how to play draughts on a wooden board during rainy afternoons."
British Plural form of draught: currents of cool air in a room or other confined space, or quantities of liquid swallowed in one continuous action.
"Heavy curtains were hung across the doorway to block the cold draughts coming from the hall."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the board game, 'draughts' is the standard British English term (corresponding to American English 'checkers') and takes a singular verb despite its plural form.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'draught', meaning a pull or a move in a board game, derived from the Old English verb 'dragan' (to draw or pull).